Author's note: As requested here is the next chapter of This Time is Ours. A huge, massive thank you to everyone who reviewed, next chapter I'll do a shout out to all of you lovelies!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does!
All night I wrestled with insomnia, but not matter what I did I couldn't fall asleep. I was beside myself with panic and worry over my theory. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself it just wasn't possible for him to still be alive, after all we were on the scene when he was pronounced dead, I couldn't shake the feeling I had. After hours of lying in bed wide awake while Edward slept I got up quietly and powered up my lap top. Determined I opened a search engine and typed in James Hunter, I knew it was a stretch to find any information that would be at all helpful since we knew a lot about him thanks to Laurent's help
A few newspaper articles popped up, recent ones from my ordeal with him when it was discovered James was a murderer. I hadn't followed the story at the time; I was finding it too difficult to deal with the emotions I was experiencing to add to them by discovering things I didn't want to know. I clicked on a link and scrolled through the story, I knew exactly what I was looking for, what I needed to look for, it would be the answer to my question.
I clicked on the next link and again hit a dead end, determined I scrolled through a few more before finally stumbling across what I was looking for.
Hunter's twin brother Marcus was not available to comment on his death, the family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.
I swallowed thickly, terror washing over me. I was right, I had to be right. Even I knew it was far-fetched, everybody else would think it was positively insane. He wasn't dead; he was still alive and hiding Victoria. James's twin had been the one chasing me that day; he was the one who had died, in place of his brother, deceiving his friends and family.
"Bella?" Edward questioned from my bed behind me. I turned to see him sitting up to look at me. "Love what's wrong?" he asked as he saw the look of horror on my face. He got out of bed and rushed over to me. "Bella talk to me" Edward ordered pulling me away from the computer screen.
"He's not dead" I gasped as I fully processed what was going on in my head.
"Sweetheart he is dead, you've got nothing to worry about" Edward soothed smoothing my hair.
"No he's not!" I choked out, "Edward he has a twin brother, his brother was the one that died that day. James is still alive; he's the one who helped Victoria!" I shrieked becoming hysterical.
Edward stared at me, "Bella…" he began.
"No think about it Edward it is possible" I interrupted.
There was a knock on my door, making me jump and shriek in fright. Edward put his arms around me, trying to calm me down.
"It's just me Bella" Alice said quietly, "Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Come in Alice" Edward replied.
The door opened and a very sleepy looking Jasper followed Alice into my room. "I heard Bella shriek, what's going on?" Alice asked her brow furrowed.
"I couldn't sleep so I got up and did a bit of research" I explained taking deep breaths to calm myself down.
Alice nodded, encouraging me to carry on.
I swallowed, "James has a twin brother and I think it was him that followed me that day, the one that died." I stared at Alice gauging her reaction; I watched her expression as her mind ticked over, processing what I had just told her.
"I think you're right" Edward said in a low voice from behind me. I turned to face him, he looked me in the eye and continued "You're right Bella, it all makes sense, the pieces fit" he said glancing at Alice and Jasper.
Alice nodded, "Of course" she breathed, "I never would have even considered it, I didn't know he had a twin, did you?" she asked.
Jasper shook his head, "No, he certainly didn't go to UW otherwise we would have heard about him before now" he replied.
"So what do we do now?" Alice asked.
I put my face in my hands, "I have no idea. No one is going to believe me. Even I know I sound crazy, what would other people think?"
"You're not crazy love" Edward reassured me, "Maybe we need to do a bit of research ourselves before we take this to the authorities, we're about to make some pretty serious allegations, we'll need a little proof to back ourselves up."
"I think it's time to pay Laurent another visit" Jasper replied.
Early the next morning Rose and Emmett joined us at our place, somehow they had all wrangled the day off work to join us in paying Laurent a visit. Edward still had Laurent's number so we gave him a quick call and without any information on why we were paying him a visit he invited us round.
An hour or so later we pulled up at Laurent's new address, he had moved after he had found out about just how sick and twisted his housemate had been. He now lived in a small rented bungalow about twenty minutes from our own place.
"Hello my friends!" Laurent greeted us when he opened his front door to find all six of us standing on his front porch.
"Morning Laurent" Edward greeted him in a friendly manner shaking Laurent's out stretched hand.
"Come in, come in!" he said ushering us into his home, "Make yourselves at home" said when he led us into his living room. We sat down on the sofa and arm chairs he had arranged quite artfully in the small room. "It's been too long" Laurent said smiling widely at us all, "It's wonderful to see you all but I'm afraid I might be correct in thinking this visit isn't a happy one?" he asked.
"You're right" Edward told him, "I wish we weren't here under these certain circumstances but we really need your help."
"Of course" Laurent replied nodding.
"Bella" Edward prompted.
I took a deep breath and launched into my theory, explaining the accident, the article I found, the whole ordeal with Victoria. Laurent quietly listened nodding and murmuring in places. When I finally finished he looked thoughtful.
"That son of a bitch" Laurent said quietly.
We all looked at each other shocked; Laurent never spoke in that manner. Before I even had a chance to think into it any further Laurent spoke.
"I always knew he was intelligent, a planner, cunning" Laurent said, "But continually he surprises me. There is no doubt in my mind that you're on to something Bella, it all fits together nicely, James is a very particular person and everything he ever does in life has a purpose. Most of the time one can never see what outcome he is aiming for but when he reaches his goal it always makes perfect sense. As for Victoria, well I always knew she was a complete psychopath so it would not at all surprise me that she be involved."
We all remained silent as he spoke, thinking out loud. We were right to involve Laurent; he knew exactly how James operated. But could he help us track him down?